WayCool Foods has signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM) Kancheepuram to build devices that detect ripening and rotting in fruits and vegetables.
The devices will harness IIITDM’s photonic technology, a unique non-invasive and non-destructive technology that uses a combination of ultraviolet and infrared rays to test fruit.
Once ready, the technology is set to help farmers check the optimal time to harvest their produce and reduce waste and handling and the time it takes to check quality.
Subramanian Akkulan, executive vice president of WayCool Foods, said the technology would be integrated into handheld devices for easy usage at various junctions across India’s food supply chain.
“At WayCool, we are constantly working on emerging technology that will help drive efficiency and reduce wastage in food supply chains. We have invested significant capital in industry-academia partnerships to develop a range of technologies such as coatings, modified atmosphere packaging solutions as well as rot and damage detection technology,” said Akkulan.
“We are extremely happy to be collaborating with IIITDM, a centre of excellence for technical education and research in the next generation of non-invasive testing technology for fresh produce.”
